Many functions performed by attorneys and other professionals involve a series of deadlines. For example, oftentimes an attorney must send a client a reminder, obtain authorization or possibly executed documents from the client, and then take some action based on the client's response. Each of these actions must be performed in a timely manner, as clients may be required to pay enormous late fees, or may even lose rights altogether, due to a missed deadline. Moreover, these functions are often time-intensive, costly, and tedious, with professionals spending countless hours attempting to contact busy clients by telephone or by writing multiple letters attempting to elicit a response from the client. These problems are compounded by the fact that the typical professional has many clients, each client having many matters which the professional must constantly monitor.
Several systems have been developed for facilitating some of the functions which professionals must perform. Perhaps the most common of such systems is the standard docketing system, which typically contains a database of deadlines. The docketing system notifies the professional of each upcoming deadline a preset time period before the deadline by printout, attached terminal, or networked computer.
A disadvantage of docketing systems, however, is that such systems aid in only one of many steps which the professional must perform, that step being examining a calendar periodically to notice upcoming deadlines. Even using a docketing system, the professional must still contact the client initially and send multiple reminders if necessary, wait for the client to make a decision and respond with an authorization, compose a letter or perform some other action based on the client's response, send a confirmation of the action taken to the client, and manually update the docketing system or instruct someone else to do the same. Each of the steps taken by the professional is often time-intensive and expensive. For example, corresponding by telefax, telephone, or express mail at each step of the process, often with parties in foreign countries, involves great expense, as does the time required to compose and send telefaxes, letters, and reminders, telephone clients or other necessary third parties, and manually update the docketing system.
Another disadvantage of docketing systems is that the system does not employ modern computer communications media, such as the Internet. Today's sophisticated clients are more apt to use, and often desire to use, new technologies for communication. These technologies greatly decrease the costs and increase the timeliness of communication, as evidenced by the low expense associated with Internet usage. Communication using the Internet is far less expensive and/or more timely than traditional communication using telephone, telefax, or express mail, which are the communication methods currently being employed by professionals. This is especially true of today's worldwide businesses which require communication with parties in many foreign countries. Moreover, using modern communication technology, the professional may transfer in seconds a clean, original document so that the client may simply print the document, execute it, and mail it back to the professional, thereby halving the time required to obtain signed originals.
In one currently prevailing business model, the professional firm or service bureau maintains a docket database on behalf of a client or clients. A disadvantage of this approach is that the client does not have direct access over his/its data.
In another current approach, typically used by large corporations, the client has direct access and control over his/its data, but also must take responsibility for its security and accuracy, by maintaining hardware and software, and by proofing and reviewing the data as well as changes, e.g. in dates, fees and the like due to changes in the law of foreign jurisdictions.
What is desired, therefore, is an automated system for obtaining authorizations from clients prior to deadlines which will improve the speed, efficiency, and reliability of performing professional services for clients. Providing a system in which communications between the professional and the client take place over the Internet is also desired, as is a system which automatically acts on the authorization to perform or prepare the documents necessary to perform the professional service desired by the client. An automated system which provides clients with control over, but not responsibility for the data is also desired.